10th Grade English/Language Arts Reading Focus: Nonfiction
ThirdSix Weeks: Week 1 Informational Text
Writer: Jeannie Istre / TEKS:
6, 8, 9A, 10A, 15B, 24B, Fig. 19B
UNIT Objectives:
  • The students will
be introduced to the Unit 3, its genre, theme, big question, and short overview of material.
be involved in word learning through talking, comparing, analyzing, and using target words
beprovided multiple opportunities for exposure to meaningful information about each word.
make inferences about and draw conclusions from the types of nonfiction.
develop a deeper understanding of features and characteristics of non-fiction writing.
evaluate the role of diction and the effect of tone.
analyze the controlling idea of the passage and the textual elements that support and elaborate it.
make complex inferences about text and use textual evidence to support understanding. (Expository)
summarize text.
develop skills for working productively with others in teams/groups.
use elements of the writing process to compose text.
use comprehension skills to listen attentively.
understand and apply new vocabulary in reading and writing.
Overview:
Unit 3 focuses on the genre of nonfiction essays, speeches, and short stories. Literary Nonfiction essays, speeches, and short storiesare the selections presented in the text.
The Academic Purpose is to develop a deeper understanding of the
• Features of literary nonfiction and characteristics of well-written story.
• Advancing plot, establishing setting, and its influence on mood and conflict.
• First person, third person, and omniscient point of view and how writers use point of view to influence reader reaction.
Major Concepts
• Working productively with others in teams
• Using comprehension skills listen attentively to others
• Understanding and using new vocabulary when reading and writing
• Comprehending theme and genre in literary texts
• Comprehending structure and elements of literary genre: fiction
• Comprehending how author’s sensory language creates imagery in literary text
• Analyzing how words, images, graphics, and sound work together to impact meaning
• Writing expository texts
• Using elements of the writing process to compose text
Throughout this unit students will, read, talk, write about and write like the essays, speeches, and short stories they read. Teachers will model tasks to apprentice learners in the discipline of language arts. During the unit, students will use their new understanding about what makes an effective speech, essay, or short story to develop their own persuasive letter as a culminating project. Other projects may be developed by the instructor or suggested by the students. Ideas from first six weeks may also be adapted for this unit and six weeks.
The Unit 3theme focuses on one main question to be continually revisited throughout the six weeks possibly at the end of each selection.
The Big Question for Unit 3:
What kind of knowledge changes our lives?
Essential Questions:
What do we learn from these texts about reading and writing? What are these stories about on a literal/deeper level?
What must we do in order to understand why a story affects us as it does?
How does syntax, diction and style affect the essay and the reader?
How does the setting affect the development of a narrative(plot, conflict, characters, mood)
Essential Academic Vocabulary:
Instinct customarily distinct tactile formidable evoking - “The Spider and the Wasp”
lavished subordinate rejuvenation convalesce cajoling succinct- “The Sun Parlor”
Essential Literary Terms:
tone setting dramatic irony mood setting plot theme symbolism allegory drawing conclusions
Freytag’s Pyramid: Stages in Plot Development style diction syntax purpose perspective
Narrative essay descriptive essay expository essay persuasive essay reflective essay
Address talk oration lecture
  1. Students should select a nonfiction work for independentor home reading and document reading through various means such as: reading logs, book report, or dialectical journal which is to be turned in at the end of the six weeks.
  2. Introduce Academic Vocabulary and The Big Question using a quick write, Explain What You Know, or Write What You Think on page 443.
  3. Mini-Lesson to introduce Nonfiction and types of Nonfiction on pages 444-447.
  4. “The Sun Parlor” –Dorothy West. Page 490-497 or “The Spider and the Wasp”-Alexander PetrunkevitchPages 463-471.
  5. Journal Topic for “The Sun Parlor”: Understanding what is truly important in life is valuable because ______.
  6. Journal Topic for “The Spider and the Wasp”: An example of a situation in which it would be important to adapt or revise a behavior based on instinct and gut reaction is______.
  7. Develop a Mini-Lesson to introduce the selection’s vocabulary.
  8. Complete either orally or as a graded assignment Vocabulary Graphic Organizer for the appropriate lesson or the Vocabulary Warm-Up Exercise.
  9. Read from The Reader’s Notebook (if included in this resource to answer questions while reading.
  10. Introduce the essay with the author’s biography and ascertain prior knowledge.
  11. Read (aloud or silently) for comprehension, stopping periodically to check for understanding.
Read to comprehend. Students will read “The Sun Parlor” to see what small lessons and morals were taught and learned in the parlor; a place reserved for family members to visit with guests or each other. Students will read “The Spider and the Wasp” to understand the distinction between instinct and intelligence.
You might wish to create a chart or graphic organizer to answer questions below to aid in comprehension of the text and its main idea.
Post the following comprehension questions for either story: What is happening? How do you know? Who are the characters? What do you know about them? How do you know? Explain to the students that stopping periodically to answer these questions while reading of the text will assist in providing a better understanding of the story.
Analyze point of view. Ask: From what point of view is the story told? Who is telling the story? What is the effect on you as a reader?
Ask the students to read eitheressay a second timeif time permits and identify what they think is significant moments or sentences. These moments may be related to the tone, diction, characters, conflicts, settings, lessons learned, key plot events, etc.
or
The student can be divided into groups to read the selection.
Differentiation/Intervention: Struggling readers may read, listen attentively and take notes, read along with a peer pal or with online assistance or with the CD recorded selection.
Ask students to take notes on a section of a graphic organizer shaped T, and share the notes from their section of the text with other groups.
  1. Suggested After Reading Activities:
Selection Support Reading: Graphic Organizer Literary Analysis: Graphic Organizer
Integrated Language Skills Open Book Test for Assessment
Vocabulary Warm-Up Exercise Vocabulary Builder
  1. Develop a Mini-Lesson for Conventions: Subject complements and writing a brief memoir. Pgs 508-509.
or
  1. Complete Integrated Language Skill Practice on page 484 Direct and Indirect Objects and the Writing lesson on page 485; writing a business letter. (Complete the Work in Progress in order to assist students with competing a persuasive letter to the editor the end of the unit.)
  2. Review the story and complete Writing, page 485.
  3. Have the students analyze and apply The Big Question to the selection read.
  4. Administer Open Book Test/Assessment as need for comprehension.
  5. Reteach as needed.

Suggested Assessment:
Open Book Test
Vocabulary Warm-up Exercise
Reading: Graphic Organizer
Selection Support
Integrated Language Skills
Literary Analysis: Graphic Organizer
Two column or T Chart
Writing of Business Letter
Resources:
Prentice Hall Literature Textbook
Other diagnostic material in ancillaries
Ancillary quizzes
PHLitOnline
10th Grade English/Language Arts Reading Focus: Reflective Essay
Third Six Weeks: Week 2
Writer: Jeannie Istre / TEKS:
2A, 5A, 6,10A, 13D, 14, 24A, ,26
Objective: The student will:
  • evaluate the effect of imagery on a literary essay.
  • write literary text to express ideas about real people, events, and ideas.
  • listen responsively to a speaker by taking notes that summarize or highlight the speaker’s ideas for critical reflection and by asking questions related to the content for clarification and elaboration.
  • understand new vocabulary and use it when reading and writing.
  • participate productively in teams, building on the ideas of others, contributing relevant information, developing a plan for consensus-building and setting ground rules for decision-making. ELAR 10.26
  • makeinferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of fiction and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. ELAR 10.5, 10.2
  • analyze isolated scenes and their contribution to the success of the plot as a whole in a variety of works of fiction. ELAR 10.5A
  • Relate the figurative language of a literary work to its historical and cultural setting.
ELAR 10.2C
  • Analyze isolated scenes and their contribution to the success of the plot as a whole in a variety of works of fiction. ELAR 10.5A
  • Edit drafts for grammar, mechanics, and spelling. ELAR 10.13D

Essential Questions:
What is the topic of the essay?
What is the main point being made?
Which details support that point?
Essential Academic Vocabulary
Infinite inherent paradox dilapidated enthralls poignant
Essential Literary Terms
Paradox Reflective essay imagery main idea author’s purpose inference
Suggested Lesson Ideas:
Before reading:
  1. Journal suggestion: In addition to books and libraries, ______may influence a person’s desire to learn new things because ______.
  2. Read “In Commemoration: One Million Volumes” – Rudolfo Anaya pg. 499
  3. Introduce the vocabulary for the selection and complete Vocabulary Warm-up or Vocabulary Builder.
  4. Develop a Mini-Lesson for the selection’s vocabulary.
  5. Review main idea and reflective essay using the Reading Warm-up.
  6. Discuss background for the story to actuate prior knowledge and cultural connections.
  7. Introduce the author.
  8. Read silently the story using the GIST Strategy to build reading stamina for STAAR.
  9. Use the Reader’s Notebook to answer questions to check comprehension while students read.
  10. Use the Before You Read; Analyzing Main Idea and Supporting Details or other Reading: Graphic Organizer to reinforce main idea and supporting details.
  11. Develop a Mini-Lesson for Predicate Nominative and Predicate Adjectives if not taught prior week.
  12. Analyze and apply the Unit’s Big Question for this selection.
  13. Administer Selection Test Assessment as needed.
  14. Re-teach as needed.
  15. Have students complete a Vocabulary Project (Personal Dictionary). Students should use half sheets of paper 5 ½ by 8 ¼ or notecards bound with ring clasp where they are responsible for a creative display of each vocabulary word, its definition, part of speech, a sentence, and a graphic. The dictionary should be in alphabetical order and must be bound with a creative cover bearing the student’s name. Inform the students that this will be an ongoing assignment so the binding should be removable like a ring or brad. This could be extended and considered a form of project based learning. Students may use an optional number of vocabulary words to complete an essay using the words in correct context.
  16. Have students complete Work in Progress on page 509in order to assist students with completing a persuasive letter to the editor the end of the unit.
  17. Complete Texas Test Preparation Workshop, pages 510 – 511.
  18. Differentiation/Intervention: Struggling readers may read listen attentively and take notes, read along with the online assistance or with the CD recorded selection.

Suggested Assessment:
Selection Tests
Vocabulary Warm-ups
Vocabulary Builder
Reading Graphic Organizer
Literary Analysis: Graphic Organizer
Integrated Language Skills
Resources:
Prentice Hall Literature Textbook
Prentice Hall Reader’s Notebook
Ancillary quizzes
Teacher developed material
PHLitOnline
10th Grade English/Language Arts Writing Focus: Expository
ThirdSix Weeks: Weeks 3-4 Reading Focus: Comparing Literary Works
Writer: Jeannie Istre / TEKS:
6, 11A, 11B, 13B, 15C
Objective:
  • Understand new vocabulary and use it when reading and writing.
  • Write literary text to express ideas about real people, events, and ideas.
  • Use rhetorical techniques that demonstrate understanding of the writer’s purpose and audience.
  • Edit drafts for grammar, mechanics, and spelling. ELAR 10.13D
  • Use correct punctuation marks. ELAR 10.18B (RS)
  • Use a variety of correctly structured sentences. ELAR 10.17C
  • Use effective reading strategies to determine written work’s purpose and intended audience. ELAR 10: 2A
  • Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about theme and genre in different cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding. ELAR 10.2
  • Analyze the controlling idea and specific purpose of a passage and the textual elements that support and elaborate it, including both the most important details and the less import details. ELAR 10.8A
  • Use correct punctuation marks. ELAR 10.18B B
  • Use elements of the writing process to compose text and revise drafts to improve style ELAR 10.13C, D (A- E)
  • Write an interpretive response to an expository or a literary text (e.g., essay or review) that: extends beyond a summary and literal analysis; addresses the writing skills for an analytical essay and provides evidence from the text using embedded quotations; and analyzes the aesthetic effects of an author’s use of stylistic and rhetorical devices. ELAR 10.15C(i, ii, iii)

Essential Questions:
What do we learn from these texts about reading and writing?
What are these stories about on a literal/deeper level?
What must we do in order to understand why a story affects us as it does?
How can we use our understanding to recreate our own effective expository writing?
How does the setting affect the development of a narrative(plot, conflict, characters, mood).
What do we learn about informational text that differentiates it from other forms?
What are the steps in writing an analytical essay?
Essential Academic Vocabulary
Sumptuous vagaries - “A Toast to the Oldest Inhabitant: The Weather of New England”
Incredulity irascible - ”The Dog That Bit People”
Essential Literary Terms
Humorous writing hyperbole compare contrast context clues inference satire contrast understatement irony absurdity digression personification
Suggested Lesson Ideas:
  1. Develop Mini-Lesson for Informational Text or discuss and complete pages 512-517 to introduce and review procedural texts.
  2. Complete the Timed Writing of a Persuasive Letter.
  3. Use the 5-minute planner on page 517 to assist in pre-writing.
  4. Develop a rubric for grading the persuasive letter that is “studentfriendly “or use the rubric provided for an in-depth method of evaluation.
  5. After completing the letter writing, have students turn and read their letter aloud to a peer. Then have the student correct his/her own mistakes. Afterward, have the peer partners exchange papers and again peer- edit the persuasive letter using the rubric. Have the students return the papers and re-write the letter before turning it in for grading. (Oral reading will allow students to hear and correct their errors. Peer editing will allow them to see and correct the mistakes of others and build their skill base and apply their knowledge.)
  6. Develop a Mini-Lesson forComparing Literary Works using the chart on page 518 for assistance.
  7. “A Toast to the Oldest Inhabitant: The Weather of New England” – Mark Twain and”The Dog That Bit People” – James Thurber. (This is a paired reading)
  8. Introduce the selection by discussing Writing About the Big Question on page 519: “What kind of knowledge changes our lives?”
  9. Journal topic: When I need to adapt to a bad situation, I try to remember ______
  10. Introduce the authorsas well as the literary elements: humor, satire, understatement, and hyperbole.
  11. During reading, complete the graphic organizer on page 518 also at
  12. During reading, other useful graphic organizers can be found at
  13. After reading, complete Comparing Humorous Writing Pg 531.
  14. Texas Writing Workshop Page 532 – 537.
  15. Use the Rubric on page 537 to assess writing assignment.

Suggested Assessment:
Texas Test Preparation Workshop
Selection Tests
Analytical Essay
Critical Thinking
Persuasive Letter
Resources:

Prentice Hall Literature Textbook
Teacher created material
Unit Resources
Written Composition Criteria Rubric
10th Grade English/Language Arts Reading Focus: Persuasive Essay
Third Six Weeks: Week 5
Writer: Jeannie Istre / TEKS:
6, 10, 13B, 15c(i), 25, 26, RC-10B,
Fig. 19B
Objective:
The students will
  • Evaluate the role of syntax on a speech.ELAR 6
  • Analyze, make inferences, and draw conclusions about persuasive text.ELAR 10
  • Develop drafts in open-ended situations that include rhetorical devices used to convey meaning. ELAR 13B
  • Write an interpretive response that extends beyond a summary and literal analysis. ELAR 15C
  • Use textual evidence to support understanding. ELAR 10B
  • Understand new vocabulary and use it when reading and writing.
  • Use and understand the function of the parts of speech in the context of reading, writing, and speaking.
  • Use effective reading strategies to determine a written work’s purpose and intended audience.
  • Use effective reading strategies to determine written work’s purpose and intended audience. ELAR 10: 2A
  • Analyze the controlling idea and specific purpose of a passage and the textual elements that support and elaborate it, including both the most important details and the less import details. ELAR 10.8A
  • Distinguish among different kinds of evidence (e.g., logical, empirical, anecdotal) used to support conclusions and arguments in texts. (10.9B) ELAR 10.9B B
  • Analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about theme and genre in different cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding. ELAR 10.2
  • Summarize text and distinguish between a summary and critique and identify non-essential information .ELAR 10.9A B
  • Students analyze, make inferences and draw conclusions about persuasive text and provide evidence form text to support their analysis. ELAR 10.10
  • Use correct punctuation marks. ELAR 10.18B B
  • Use elements of the writing process to compose text and revise drafts to improve style ELAR 10.13C, D (A- E)